The present invention relates to a self-pumping thrust bearing for electric machines having a vertical shaft, particularly hydro-electric generators.
A self-pumping thrust bearing is disclosed in British Pat. No. 571,745 in which oil circulation to a cooler is continuously maintained through bores in the thrust ring in order to prevent excessive heating of oil flowing through the bearing gap. The bore diameters and their number determine the quantity of oil pumped to the cooler. The oil emerging from the individual pump bores enters in individual jets into a ring canal in a stationary part, which, however, causes turbulence layers and thereby pressure losses. From the ring canal, the oil is then fed to the cooler via pipelines.